Assassin and Guild
by Blue Eyes3
Summary: Tortall is controlled by two groups the Assassins and the Guilds; nobels. Aria's strong magic could unbalance the division of power. Love or Magic? First Priority: success. Sort of more fantasy than TP.
1. Steel

Aria turned around, someone, or something was watching her, closely. She didn't know how she knew it but something was following her, and she knew from somewhere deep in side her, that they were not following her out of curiosity. She continued to walk, but cautiously looking for a slight irregularity. The crowds were thinning as Aria reached the end of the bustling city, and turned abruptly into a small cottage. As soon as she entered the tidy little cottage, she hung up the black coat she had been donned so as to hide her appearances. The eyes watching her widened as they saw huge blue eyes, emphasized with high cheekbones, a stubborn chin, and a deep dimple in her left cheek. Crowning this inhumanly beautiful face were long golden, waste length ringlets. Looking around the room, a shiver ran up her long graceful spine the feeling that something was watching had become much more personal almost as if, they were but a few feet behind her.  
  
Suddenly, she whirled around to see an unknown face. Her reaction was immediately to get this alien person out of her house. But, before she could think she was bound hand and foot and on the floor, fighting her bonds incessantly but to no avail. The unknown stranger studied the women he had captured more intently then he had during his daylong contemplation of her habits. She moved with the grace of a potential warrior, but also one who knew it was prey. He knew her instincts had told him he, or something, was watching her, but the untrained eye can not see the magic of the assassin. That was why he had been sent to obtain this women, she had the magic of a possible assassin, and should this talent be picked up by the nobles the careful balance between political power and that of brute strength.  
  
Looking at her his face went hard, should this woman chose silk and jewels over training who knew what would become of the assassins, she was dangerous. A woman assassin who had the magic of seduction and the sagacious power of the assassins was a dangerous tool.  
  
"Could you stop staring and tell me what on earth you are doing in my house, and I suppose the fact that you have me on the floor gagged could be added to the list of offense in addition." Demanded Aria, with a look of extreme annoyance.  
  
Looking up the pair of eyes, along with the rest of the face, caught the intelligent glint in her eye, the stubborn chin, and summarized she must have a will of iron and a tong as sharp as a knife.  
  
"I suppose you would like me to add my identity, how many years I have been living, the middle name of my father and mother, not to mention my favorite meal to the list of question's that need answering." Said the assassin a look of mischief in his eye.  
  
"Your identity would be a start, I daresay you now a good deal about me, you must feel you know me very familiarly to be the only one capable of free movement in this house, my house." Yelled a frustrated Aria. How dare he be so rude, he made a joke of her outrage?  
  
"As to my identity I am Dameon of the Steel, Assassin of the North." A gasp and then silence followed this proclamation.  
  
Aria's mind raced she supposed she knew they would find her someday, but to send the steel their best? All knew the Assassin of the North, he could track a feather on the wind, and could travel, leaving no more trace than the wind. His steely glance could force the truth out of any criminal that found himself in the company of the assassins.  
  
"To answer why you are bound on the floor was to prevent hostility when I tell you of my errand. You have been 'requested' by the Guild of Assassins to become my apprentice. This entails three years of training under my hand, and a year of solitary survival at the end of the ordeal of my instruction." Recited Dameon.  
  
"Do I have a choice as to my answer?" "Quite honestly, no. If you do not except my terms your talent will be discovered by the Political Guild, who will be less then kind." Said Dameon; his famous steely glint apparent I his gray eyes.  
  
"If that is the case I, Aria, accept, less than happily."  
  
  
  
  
  
Good? Bad? Dreadful as I conclude? This is my first fantasy so criticism would be appreciated! ~Blue Eyes~ 


	2. A Dictator's Mistake

Chapter 2 I'm a dreadful human being I should have written I'm sorry, I've just been busy my soccer team may go to nationals. . . I've had to run to recover from sprained ankles. . . I'm sorry I have all chapters planned 'til the end so I'll start updating quickly.  
  
  
  
"So you have failed me, allowing them to reach her first. I shall not allow that. I refuse to allow it. Perfection and efficiency must be valued above all. You are not equal to what I would expect of someone involved in The Guild, a commander of the fourth arment."  
  
Cold gray eyes accompanied this harsh reprimand. The speaker's long predatory fingers clicked, the sound echoed across the room. The instant response to this noise caused two men to march into the thrown room in perfect unison.  
  
"This man has displayed an inability to use guile and stealth. I refuse to let him weigh down our organization. By the end of the day he and the fourth arment will be disposed of. I will leave it to your doing."  
  
She clicked her fingers indicated the sobbing man and stone-faced guards should leave. She bent down to continue her work, without a second glance at the man she had murdered.  
  
Leader Anmet was furious. She would have to reorganize the two hundred and fifty (now two hundred forty-nine her mouth twisted into something resembling pleasure) arments. Arments were companies specifically trained for guerilla warfare. They valued silence and stealth they, were often spies of great effectiveness, as they could dispose of rebels quickly without notice, but one mistake would be fatal. But, all in the guild lived on one rule; Perfection or death. It was simple.  
  
This particular project may need a more individual. . .assignment. Her daughter must me kidnapped or her dictatorship would tumble to shreds. Leader Anmet cursed the moment maternal instinct had stopped her from killing the child at birth, before her power became vital to the scales. Instead she had christened her daughter Aria and given her to bandits, where she assumed she wold meet her doom before the age of ten. It was three days later that her husband had pointed to the error of her choice. From that moment on she insisted upon the title of leader, not lady, she was a ruler before a woman.  
  
Aria (and Damien) Aria's face glowed with pleasure at the variety of the landscape, living with the bandits she had always been kept in hiding, and never allowed to watch the diverse land role by.  
  
"Difficult as this may be for you, try and be less obvious. People keep looking at you." A hard emotionless voice interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"People always stare when I walk by, I'm used to it." Replied a saucy Aria, she was sick of his constant criticism.  
  
"You my dear, are my student. As an assassin you should learn to attract less attention." He lowered his voice to avoid eavesdroppers. "Eventually you will be able to past by unnoticed, with magical aid. As soon as we find our campsite, you will learn how to be inconspicuous. Now, for my own sanity raise you hood."  
  
"If you are so concerned for your sanity, you shouldn't have chosen me for a student." Grumbled Aria. Damien chose to ignore that.  
  
  
  
"Aria! Pay attention. I'm going to set up camp you are going to get firewood."  
  
Ordered Damien. She obeyed silently. Well, that's a first thought Damien. He began his normal routine and began to assemble the campsite. As he mindlessly completed this task he couldn't get his newly acquired students' face out of his mind. She was beautiful he grudgingly admitted. But also impertinent, too intelligent, and stubborn not something that generally suited his taste. He thought back to the last time he had gotten involved with someone. What was her name again? Diana, he remembered. Diana of green eyes and long black hair she had been submissive and beautiful, perfect. He had also killed her. An assassin must never get to close too anyone.  
  
The sound of noisy footsteps made Damien jump to his feet. He winced when he realized how much stealth his 'prodigy' lacked.  
  
"Aria, it's past time you learned to walk quietly."  
  
"I'll walk quietly when you teach me how."  
  
"First need to learn how to be unnoticed."  
  
"The two ought to go hand I hand. Don't you think?"  
  
"Fine, sit down. Assassins have a certain type of magic distinguishable from that of The Guild. Our magic consists of brute force and being inconspicuous. The later being the easiest to master. In your case this will be particularly useful. We don't want you to waste time on a case because of rape."  
  
A lengthy lesson continued.  
  
~Blue Eyes~ I feel awful dreadfully awful you have all been so nice in reviews and I haven't updated for. . .months. Anyway I will try and update once a week, or at least edit once a week. I'm not going to explain exactly how she will become inconspicuous because I don't want to turn this story into a conparison of the methods of the two different types of magic. REVIEW!!!!!!!!! 


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